Regulator pin for watches



(No Model.) A. VAN STRAIT.

' v REGULATOR PIN FOR WATCHES. No. 361,850. Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

witmeooco avwentoz,

' M W 3&3 Mid GH OOMQl N PETERS. mamm gram Wampum D. c

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW VAN STRAIT, OF SIDNEY, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, STEPHEN M.THORNTON, AND FRANCIS E. THORNTON, OF SAME PLACE.

REGULATOR-PIN FOR WATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,850, dated April26, 1887.

Serial No. 204,997. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW VAN STRAIT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sidney, in the county of Delaware and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Watches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in watches; and it consists of thepeculiar eon- IO struetion and arrangement of the various parts forservice, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and'particularlypointed out in the claims.

Heretofore means have been provided for 5 preventing the outer coils ofthe hair-spring of watches from being displaced or disarranged when thewatch is subjected to a sudden jar or shock-as, for instance, when it islet fall which is liable to cause the watch to keep irregular time or tostop. One of the devices for preventing displacement of the outer coilof the hair-spring consists of two parallel pins that are carried by theregulator, and between these pins is fitted the outer coil of thehair-spring; but in this device the outer coil or extreme end of thehair-spring is liable to slip or pass beneath the extremities of thepins and become engaged with only one of the pins, or becomedisconnected from both pins, gotor in many instances two coils get orpass between the pins, or they may catch onto both pins, and hence thisdevice cannot be confidently relied upon to effectively guard againstthe spring getting out of its proper place or position.

In my improved device I provide the inner pin of .the two which arecarried by the regulator with an outwardly-extending foot that is formedintegral with the pin by which it is 0 carried, and the outer coil ofthe hair'spring is fitted between the said pins, as is usual. Theoutwardly-extending foot of my invention passes beneath the said outercoil of the hairspring and effectually prevents the outer coil 5 frombecoming accidentally detached or disconnected from the pins, and theouter pin terminates a very short distance above the foot'of the fellowpin, so as to be out of contact therewith, and thus permit the saidouter 5o coil of the hair-spring to be passed edgewise between the lowerextremity of the pin and the foot in removing the spring from thewatch-movement to repair the latter, all as more fully describedpresently.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a part of awatch-movement with my invention applied thereto, Figure 1 is a view ofso much of a watch-movement as is necessary for a proper understandingof my improvement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of theregulator detached from the movement and having the parallel pins withthe foot applied thereto.

Referring to the'drawings, in which like letters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the balancebridgeof a watch-movement, beneath which the balance-wheel works, and on theshaft or arbor of this wheel is coiled a hair-spring, C, whose tensionis controlled by the regulator D, all of which are of the ordinaryconstruction common to watch-movements of American manufacture, to whichclass my improvements are especially applicable.

E and F designate the parallel pins, which are rigidly secured on andcarried by the regulator D, and these pins are arranged one in rear ofthe other. The said pins are shown depending from the regulator when thewatchmovement occupies a horizontal position, and they are located at ornear the outer or free end of the said regulator.

The inner pin, F, of the pair carries at its lower end or extremity afoot, G, which is formed integral with the said pin by which it iscarried, and the foot extends outwardly from the hair-spring andterminates to one side of the balance-wheel, so as to be out of contacttherewith and not interfere with or obstruct the movement of the saidwheel. The said foot extends beneath the outermost coil or free end ofthe hair-spring, and the outer extremity of the foot is curved orinclined upwardly to a point considerably above the lower terminal endof the outer pin, E, as clearly 5 shown .in Fig. 2, so that, should theouter coil of the hair-spring become accidentally displaced from betweenthe pins E F by any possible means, the said coil of the spring willimpinge upon the upwardly curved or inclined Ioo end of the foot G, andthereby more effectually prevent the coil from becoming wholly detachedfrom the pins. The free end or outermost coil of the hair-spring isfitted loosely between the pins, and is thereby prevented from becomingdetached from the pins laterally; and by means of the foot the spring isprevented from falling down and from passing beneath the pins when thewatch is subjected to a sudden shock or jar. The pin E terminates abovethe foot a very short distance, so as to be out of contact therewith,the space which separates the terminal end of the pin E and thehorizontal foot being less than the width of the outer coil of thehairspring, to prevent the same from slipping or passing between the pinand the foot, while at the same time the said coil of the hair-springcan be readily removed by the hands of the repairer or watch-maker, whenit is desired to examine or repair any part of the works necessitatingthe removal of the hair-spring, by simply turn ing the outer coiledgewise and slipping it beneath the terminal end of the pin E while itis in this position.

By arranging the foot on the inner pin said foot may be extended out asfar as desired with out interfering with the movement of the hairspringor offering apoint for the spring to lodge or catch against in itsmovements. Furthermore, the exterior faces of the foot are arranged in ahorizontal plane, and the end thereof is turned up, so as to leave nopoint for thehairspring to catch against in its movements. The shoe thusserves as a guard to prevent the hairspring from catching around thepins by a sudden jar, to which watches are often subjected. There are nogrooves, slots, points, or projections on the foot in or against whichthehairspring can catch, either in its movements or by sudden shocksthat would cause the displacement of the spring.

It will thus be seen that I provide simple means for effectivelyretaining the outer coils of a hair-spring of a watch-movement fromgetting out of its proper place when the watch is subjected to a suddenjar or shock, and that the spring can be readily disconnected andremoved when it is desired to repair or clean the movement.

I am aware of Patent No.114.,6+l4, and do not claim the device thereinshown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the regulator and the hair'spring of awatclrmovement, of the parallel pins E F, depending from and carried bythe regulator and arranged one in rear of the other, and a horizontalfoot, G, wh ch is carried by the lower end of the inner pin, F, andextends outwardly therefrom beneath the outer coil of the hair-spring,the lower terminal end of the outer pin being arranged above thehorizontal foot and out of contact therewith, to provide a space of lesswidth than one of the coils of the hair-spring, and the outer end of thehorizontal foot being curved or inclined upwardly to a pointconsiderably above the lower terminal end of the outer pin, E,substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the regulator-plus E F of a watch-movement, ahorizontal foot, G, formed integral with the inner pin, F, and extendingoutwardly therefrom to such distance as will reach beyond the movementsof the hair-spring, so as to prevent the spring from catching around thepins, as set forth.

3. In combination with the regulator-pins E F of a watch-movement, afoot, G, carried by the lower end of the inner pin, F, and extendingoutwardly therefrom beneath the outer coil of the hair-spring, andhaving a smooth exterior surface, the foot being arranged substantiallyin a horizontal plane, and having its outer end curved or inclinedupwardly, whereby there will be no danger of the coils of thehair-spring slipping down from be tween the pins, and, furthermore,there will be nothing in the construction or attachment of the foot thatwill offer an obstruction or point for the hair-spring to catch againstin its movements or by sudden shocks,assct forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW VAN STRAIT.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR D. SMITH, ROSWELL A. MONROE.

